Cliff Tiger Beetle vs Marsyas Dung Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cliff Tiger Beetle Marsyas Dung Beetle
Scientific Name Cicindela germanica Helictopleurus marsyas
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Carabidae Scarabaeidae
Size 9-12 mm 10-15 mm
Habitat Farmland Forests
Diet Predators Dung Feeders
Regions Europe, from Britain to Central Asia Madagascar
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Cliff Tiger Beetle

A small, dark green tiger beetle with faint pale markings found on exposed clay and chalk slopes. It has declined severely across its European range due to habitat loss.

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Did You Know?

In Britain, it is among the rarest beetles, known from only a handful of exposed cliff sites in Wales and the English Midlands.

Marsyas Dung Beetle

A compact, dark-bodied dung beetle that has transitioned from forest to open habitats. It has a smooth, rounded pronotum and finely striated elytra.

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Did You Know?

Genetic studies show this species diverged from its forest-dwelling relatives relatively recently, demonstrating rapid adaptation to human-altered landscapes.